1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to recreational and amusement devices for horses and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for inducing and encouraging horses to play and exercise with such devices.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A known amusement device for horses is sold under the trademark HORSEBALL and comprises an inflatable spherical hollow ball having a hollow grip in the form of a loop extending radially therefrom. Horses are encouraged to grasp the grip between their upper and lower teeth and then run and play with the grasped ball, thus helping them to exercise and strengthen their neck muscles and alleviate shyness around the face and head. When dropped the ball may be kicked about by the horses who may also fling the ball from their mouths as a source of therapeutic recreation and amusement. All of these activities result in exercise and reduced boredom for the horse. Although many horses readily take to the prior art device, there are some who may not. Accordingly, there is a need to improve upon the aforesaid device to render it more appealable to most horses.
It has also been observed that the prior art spherical amusement device has a tendency to roll away from a horse, particularly on sloped terrain. For some horses and their owners this tends to bring on frustration and discouragement, resulting in a permanent dislike and avoidance of the device. It is desirable, therefore, to improve the device in a manner that prevents the device from rolling away from a horse.
In our aforesaid patent application we disclose a generally bell-shaped inflatable device having numerous advantages over prior art spherical devices. One important advantage is the inability of the device to roll in a straight line, thereby precluding it from rolling away from a horse, particularly on sloped terrain. We have found that, while the bell-shaped device is useful, it bounces erratically or, when dropped in certain orientations, not at all. Predictable bouncing is a desirable feature of devices of this kind since many horses enjoy kicking the device as part of their amusement and exercise. Erratic bouncing, and the total absence of bouncing, causes horses to stop running and often to lose interest in the device.